Jokic posts triple-double, Canada's Murray scores 26 as Nuggets eliminate Suns

Nikola Jokic scored 32 points in another triple-double, Canada's Jamal Murray added 26 and the Denver Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2020 by beating the Phoenix Suns 125-100 in Game 6 on Thursday night.

Denver's series victory comes two seasons after the Nuggets were embarrassed in a second-round postp-season sweep by the Suns. This time, it was the Suns getting blown out on their home floor to end the season for the second straight year.

The top-seeded Nuggets used a 23-2 run during the latter part of the first quarter to take a 44-26 lead and never looked back. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — averaging 9.5 points in the playoffs — scored 17 in the first quarter while Jokic added 14.

Caldwell-Pope finished with 21 points. Jokic shot 13 of 18 from the field and added 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

Denver's offensive onslaught continued in the second as the lead grew to 81-51 by halftime, leading to boos from Suns fans as players made their way to the locker room. The second half was essentially an afterthought.

Cameron Payne scored 31 points for Phoenix, hitting seven of nine three-pointers. Kevin Durant added 23.

Phoenix was eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals at home for a second straight season despite a blockbuster trade deadline deal for Durant, a 13-time all-star and one of the game's most prolific scorers. The 34-year-old had some good moments in the playoffs, but made just one of his first 10 shots on Thursday as the Suns fell into a huge hole.

Suns guard Devin Booker was brilliant in most of the post-season, averaging 36 points per game on 60% before Game 6. But the three-time All-Star finished with just 12 points on Thursday.

Tatum, Celtics force Game 7 against 76ers

Jayson Tatum missed his first six three-pointers before he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game that pushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.

Game 7 is Sunday.

Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points in the regular season, never stopped shooting even as the misses kept coming. He missed 14 of his first 15 shots overall from the floor and his ineffectiveness was a key reason the Celtics couldn't hold a 16-point lead.

With a shot at their first conference final since 2001 at stake, the Sixers slogged through the first half before Joel Embiid flashed his MVP form and rallied the Sixers to a fourth-quarter lead.

Tyrese Maxey hit two free throws with 5:25 left for an 83-81 edge.

And that was it for Philly.

Tatum buried one 3 for the 84-83 lead and a second that made it 87-83 and put the Celtics in firm control of Game 6.

Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 26 points for the 76ers.

76ers coach Doc Rivers has blown three 3-1 series leads over his playoff career. While the 76ers never got that far ahead, this is their second loss at home in the series and they seemingly had seized momentum in the fourth quarter.

Tatum instead stuck it to the 76ers with one final three-point dagger for a 95-84 lead.

Tatum missed all 10 shots, including five three-point attempts, in the first half half as the Celtics led by seven. Tatum has said he may need surgery on his left wrist in the off-season in the wake of a hard fall. Whatever the cause of his shooting ails, he found the cure in the final 12 minutes and the East champs still have life.

Tatum finished with 19 points on just 5-for-21 shooting but the final stat line mattered little after he keyed the 14-3 run that kept the Celtics' conference repeat hopes alive under rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla.

Just like Game 3 when the Sixers squandered the momentum off Embiid's MVP ceremony, the 76ers again failed to keep a packed house as rocking as they were at tipoff. The Celtics took a fast 15-3 lead and that silenced the crowd and discombobulated the Sixers.

The Celtics led 40-26 because — in part because of three 3s from Malcolm Brogdon — but an ineffective half from Embiid, James Harden and Tobias Harris. Embiid and Harris started 1 of 7 and Harden 2 of 8 and yet, the deficit could have been much worse.

The Sixers steadied themselves somewhat — creaky Harden surprised everyone with a rare, thunderous dunk — and the Sixers had life down only 50-43 at the break.